LACK OF UTILITY OF INTESTINAL FATTY ACID BINDING PROTEIN LEVELS IN PREDICTING INTESTINAL ALLOGRAFT REJECTION

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Abstract
Introduction. The enterocyte-specific protein, intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP), is detectable in serum only after intestinal injury. Previous studies in animals suggest that I-FABP might be a useful marker of intestinal allograft rejection. Materials and Methods. I-FABP was repetitively measured in nine intestinal transplant recipients and correlated with findings of surveillance endoscopy. Results. Average interval between I-FABP determination and biopsy was 3.4 days (SD=4.2 days). Average number of rejection episodes per patient totalled 1.6±1.2. General linear modeling demonstrated no tendency for increases in serum FABP to precede histologic graft rejection (P =0.263). Restriction of the analysis to I-FABP determinations 1 day before or on the day of biopsy failed to affect these results. Minor increases in I-FABP were often associated with histologically normal grafts, whereas rejection often occurred when I-FABP was not detectable. Discussion. Serum I-FABP levels do not predict clinical intestinal allograft rejection.